I had my first Bit-O-Honey about 4 years ago when my mom bought a bag of them for my sister and me. She was excited about the candy because she had liked it growing up and hadn’t had any for a long time. It is not a popular candy in California, so my sister and I had never seen it before.
Anyways, I still remember unwrapping the wax paper and thinking that the beige colored taffy did not look appetizing. Then, I put the taffy in my mouth and the honey, almond flavor convinced me otherwise. Bit-O-Honey was so good! My sister and I devoured the whole bag quickly (which isn’t actually that remarkable since we tend to do that for all candy).
The candy was first sold back in 1924 by the Schutter-Johnson Company of Chicago, Illinois. As an AP US History student, I can tell you that this is time period after WW I and before the Great Depression. It was the Roaring 20s, and America was enjoying an economic boom following WW I. Prohibition had been ratified, so the American public was looking for new ways to exercise their vices. Could there have been a better time to bring a new candy to the market?
There is no readily available information on the initial sales of the candy, but I guess it did fine since the candy is still around. Interesting trivia about Bit-O-Honey is that it solved the age-old issue of how to eat a taffy bar without making a huge mess. The candy was segmented into 6 sections and wrapped in wax paper, and this ‘presegmentation’ allowed consumers to keep their hands and mouths clean while eating Bit-O-Honey.
The candy is still sold presegmented today, either in a bar or as individually wrapped pieces in a bag.
In 1969, Schutter-Johnson was merged into the Ward Candy Company of New York City, which was acquired by Nestle Company in 1984. In May, 2013, Nestle sold the Bit-O-Honey brand to the Pearson’s Candy Company of St. Paul, Minnesota. Hopefully with a new owner, Bit-O-Honey can receive more attention, and consumers can see more of the candy on the marketplace because eating a Bit-O-Honey is like experiencing a little bit of heaven.
“Bit-O-Honey.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. .
Cybele, May. “Candy Blog.” Candy Blog. Cybele May Candy Blog, 14 Aug. 2007. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. .
“Bit-O-Honey.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 19 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 Jan. 2014. .
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